Getting my groove on. May 3

This morning there was no scurry of border patrol cars. No clothes or
cans of food stashed for immigrants crossing into the US on the trail.
This morning was just quiet, pristine walking, climbing into the
mountains through sandy trail (dotted with hundreds of hiker
footprints), flanked by sagebrush, manzanita and beautiful ( insert
name here) desert flowers. Yet, I don't ever recall leaving camp and
sweating by 7:30am. While the temperature was no more than 72 or 73F,
the sun was shining like a laser beam onto me all day.

Today was a long day of gradual climbing, approximately 3000ft over 20
miles. The climb got tougher as the sun arced through the sky and
there was nowhere to escape. At noon I had walked 11 miles and I was
getting frantic to find some shade. I passed by Jake, a 6'3" 22-year
old, crunched under the shade of a large overhanging boulder on the
side of the trail. I walked another few miles and found a tree--the
lone tree within 10 miles large enough to create a hiker-friendly
shadow. I dried out my sleeping bag and tent in the sun, rested my
feet and ate lunch--Manchego (on day 2 and getting a little warm and
greasy) and some bread. While I was stuffing my face, a fire ant bit
me on on the bottom of my foot. Why did it have to be my foot?

I carried three liters of water to start, as the water report said
creeks were flowing, some in which PCT hikers have not seen water in
five or more years. I saw a bobcat shoot across the trail in front of
me. (I assumed it was a mountain lion that was going to eat me, but a
local corrected this erroneous suggestion.)

I picked up my first box in Mt Laguna (43 miles in) and thought I had
packed myself an Indian meal. Instead I am faced with three days of
ramen noodles. Well, make that four--tonight I had some for dinner,
too. Tomorrow I'll plan to head out early--the SoCal sun is brutal.
I'm definitely getting into thr groove. Cue song for the day:
California Love Remix by 2Pac and Dr. Dre. "California...knows how to
party"